Impact Story: Reading with Royalty

August 26, 2019

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Our 21 libraries are all welcoming and accepting spaces, and the Library is proud to host Reading with Royalty at a different location each month. This family-friendly storytime program, supported by ATB Financial, celebrates inclusion and diversity. Local drag queen and king performers read books to children and families, sharing messages of acceptance and respect.

“What I hope that kids take away from these things is just to be myself, not to treat my friend who might be different differently, and to have that respect that we are all the same, but we are all different,” said Shane Onyou, a drag king perfomer for Reading with Royalty.

Clayton, a 10-year-old who performs in the all-ages drag scene as Summer Cadence, comes to the program with his mom, Beckie.

“The fact that it teaches acceptance and like, there’s drag performers actually reading, and not just, same-day-here Library staff. It makes it, like … I don’t know what the word is,” said Clayton.